I may just have to give Ted Cruz his own series here at Deep, but the guy sure is shoveling some deep shit. Since Scalia’s death, he’s lost whatever bit of mind he had.

It’s no surprise that Ted Cruz wants an ultra-conservative justice to replace Antonin Scalia. What is surprising is how much he’s willing to lie about the consequences if that doesn’t happen. (But then again, he’s been lying for Jesus for a while now.) On Meet the Press Sunday, Cruz told host Chuck Todd that a liberal justice would mean the end of religious liberty — adding that religious symbols would be “sandblasted off of the tombstones of our fallen veterans”:

Todd: Okay, I understand that. But why not go through the process? Shouldn’t the United States Senate do its duty and go through the process? Reject it, Senator, but go through the process.

Cruz: By the way, the Senate’s duty is to advise and consent. You know what? The Senate is advising right now. We’re advising that a lame-duck president in an election year is not going to be able to tip the balance of the Supreme Court.

That we’re going to have an election, and if liberals are so confident that the American people want unlimited abortion on demand, want religious liberty torn down, want the Second Amendment taken away, want veterans’ memorials torn down, want the crosses and stars of David sandblasted off of the tombstones of our fallen veterans, then go and make the case to the people.

I don’t think the American people want that…

Apparently, Cruz and the other Republicans think a President only gets 75% of their second term, and then aren’t allowed to be President during the 4th year. Let’s use some of his hero, Antonin Scalia’s Constitutional reasoning here. The Constitution doesn’t say that Presidents are to appoint a Supreme Court Justice with the exception of election years.” That wasn’t the original intent of the founders when they laid out the Supreme Court Justice appointment process.

Also, he keeps saying the people should decide. the people did decide. We went to the ballot box in 2012 and elected Obama over a Republican Challenger. I think most people who voted knew that one of the powers of the presidency is the power to appoint Supreme Court Justices in the event of a vacancy…so that’s who we picked to appoint any needed justices over the next four years. Also, to help Cruz understand the Constitution a little better. The Senate is expected to give their advice and consent. They are not expected to delay the vote or filibuster (which is no where in the Constitution…just to be clear).

It’s even a bit worse on ABC. Here he claims the 2nd Amendment will go away:

Come on people. This guy is seriously deranged. Why is he a serious contender for the nomination of a major political party for one of the most powerful positions on the planet?

Below is a youtube of a segment from Meet The Press this past Sunday in which E. J. Dionne calls out Sen. Orrin Hatch for the Republican’s continuing bullshit about the use of reconciliation to pass things based on a simple majority vote in the Senate. We need to be discussing policy and health insurance reform (or elimination), but instead, all the Republicans can come up with to try to “win” is to run around like Chicken Little complaining that the sky will fall if some Senate procedure is “out-procedured.”

[callout title=Misdirection on the Polls.]At one point during the interview Hatch claims the polls show that 58% of Americans don’t like the reform bill, “and only a few like it.” Well, sounds me to as if 42% must like it…that’s not just “a few.” In addition, while there is one poll with that result, others show a majority favoring reform, and when the provisions of the Bill are explained to people, they actually like the provisions in the bill. Funny how that works.[/callout]The host puts up portions of a Hatch statement in which he says things like:

“would be unprecedented in scope,” –BS meter high-turns out the Republicans used reconciliation to pass the Bush the tax cuts which added $1.7 trillion to our federal deficit. I realize in Congress they don’t have much of a concept of money, but $1.7 trillion to me is pretty unprecedented in scope.

“the havoc wrought would threaten our system of checks and balances” –BS meter through the roof-the system of checks and balances is based on three equal branches of government, each have a check on the other two. What procedures Congress decides to use in how it how it acts on legislation has nothing to do with “checks and balances.”

“corrode the legislative system” – BS meter headed to low earth orbit-lest we all forget (which the Republicans are counting on) there is NOTHING, nada, zilch, zero, in the Constitution about the Senate requiring a sixty vote majority to pass normal legislation. The Constitution does require certain super-majorities in very special situations, but not for passing every-day legislation. This magical sixty vote thing is purely a creation of the Senate, and for those who argue about majority rule, this “super-majority” requirement would seem to fly in the face of that.

“degrade our system of government” –BS meter now on an inter-planetary trajectory-A sitting member of the most corrupt Senate (and government in general) has the temerity to talk about “degrading our system of government?” This is the system has not created a system of state sponsored torture, taken us into a war of aggression against a country that had done nothing to us, has shredded the Constitution with the so called PATRIOT Act. Senator, “have you no shame?”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bjFKvhxzjg]

I just can’t fathom how these people can sit there and lie with a totally straight face. I am convinced they could not and would not tell the truth if that actually favored them.

About Deep Something

This is my place to rant, rave and pontificate about anything that's on my mind. The topics frequently venture towards those never spoken about in polite company such as politics and religion. But, if you're provoked, comments are welcome.

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